"In The Systems Work of Social Change: How to Harness Connection, Context, and Power to Cultivate Deep and Enduring Change, Cynthia Rayner and François Bonnici argue that there is no easy way to generate systems change. They delve into the deeper work of social change through a series of eight case studies of civil society organizations worldwide to propose a pragmatic pathway for systems change. These organizations share a commitment to centering people in their work—and reject the traditional, top-down approaches to social change that often overlook the communities they serve. 'The day-to-day work in the long arc of social change is messy and nonlinear,” the authors write. “Effects can rarely be traced to single root causes, and outputs are rarely proportional to inputs.'

"Rayner and Bonnici’s definition of 'systems change' emphasizes the gradual, often under-recognized, work by nonprofits. 'Rather than just promote successful outcomes, these organizations are focusing on the process of change, creating new systems that are more responsive to a rapidly changing world, and more representative of a diverse and growing global populace,' they explain. 'The values and approaches with which these organizations are operating are not new, but have generally been happening beneath the surface. … We have come to call these principles and practices systems work.' Their definition differs from an understanding of systems change that reduces societal problems to discrete technical issues that are then analyzed in isolation and solved through 'scaling what works' while diligently measuring performance indicators until the job is done." - Alex Counts

Book Review: The Systems Work of Social Change: How to Harness Connection, Context, and Power to Cultivate Deep and Enduring Change